Loron Harlaw
Loron Harlaw is a member of House Harlaw of the Iron Islands. Biography Loron took his seat on the old wooden chair by the bed. It creaked under stress as he looked down at the frail old man. His head poking above the layers of furs of various beasts. His milky white eyes open and blinking seeing nothing as they had for nearly two decades. ‘Uncle Lucimore, it’s Loron. I’ve come as you requested.’ Old eyes fluttered in a fit of blinks but the ancient man made no move of his head. Jaw slowly opened attempting to speak. The worn face turned a hue of red as rasping sounds croaked out. ‘My...my Loron? My dear ch-child is it you?’ ‘Yes Uncle. What have you summoned me for this night?’ ‘Ta-tell me a story mhy child. Yours. I would know more of you.’ ‘My story? Uncle?’ ‘Your life child. I’ve not many days left and I would hear of your life as I have the others.’ ‘I...I’m a fighter. Little more. A Harlaw-‘ ‘No, no from the beginning boy. Your first memory to the end. Remind me what it is like to be young again for this one night.’ ‘Of course Uncle. If that is what you request of me.’ Loron shifted in the hard chair, eyes rolling up as he thought on his past. On the bed Lucimore closed his old eyes as Loron began the tale. ‘I-I remember a room of wood and stone. The smell of smoke from a fire at the center mixed with the scent of drying meats. There was-‘ Lucimore opened his wrinkled lips once more. ‘Son of Dagmer? Yes? Dagmer and...no matter the dead one. Both dead. As dead as the father.’ Loron looked down at his great-grand uncle and sighed. ‘Aye. Son of Dagmer the dead. Taken in by Dale and raised along with his own children.’ Pausing he waited expecting another interruption but the old man was silent. ‘I don’t remember much when I was really little. It was all so long ago. Dale was a good man but he could be hard as iron at times. He taught me to fish, how to row a boat, and swing a sword. So long as I did what he asked I’d avoid the beatings. I learned my letters eventually but little more of such things.’ ‘I remember meeting my cousin Urragon for the first time. We met in the practice yard by chance one day. From then on we always practiced swords together. We grew close as brothers but when it came to our fights he often won. My skill with a sword was no match to his back then, but I wore those bruises with pride.’ ‘It took time and many defeats by his hand but I learned. I overcame him one day. He was always more of a brute and muscle boy, and I the quick. He would swing and I would be elsewhere. He would chop in anger and I’d be gone. He would hack in rage and I’d be grinning behind him. I had a knack at being agile and that infuriated him. It was something he couldn’t best me at no matter how hard he practiced. This is where our childhood friendship ended. Even now to this day the boy has grown into a savage man and I’ve seen darkness in his eyes.’ Loron briefly leaned closer watching his uncle rest peacefully. ‘I know he has tried to kill me. Accidents have happened around him, but I’ve always been light footed. He is one of the ones I watch now.’ ‘But the games we played as boys ended when the fleet was summoned. Oldtown. It was my first taste of actual battle and it was glorious. I fought along side Dales own son Arthur. I was there when he fell. We were young and eager. We’d bit off more than we could chew and found ourselves outnumbered. There was so much blood that day. I’d of died myself right there at his side if it weren’t for cousin Helya. That is a debt I have not forgotten to her.’ ‘It was a strange place to stay. So different from home.Dale brought us holds full of thralls back in our ships. Men, women, even young ones. But among them one pleaded to me one day once we’d returned to Ten Towers. His name was Roggo and he spoke in an accent I didn’t know. He claimed he could teach me how to make a blade dance if it would get him out of the mines. After days of listening to his tales and boasts, the fancy titles he’d claimed to have once had...I relented. And so Dale allowed it to see what would come of it.’ ‘We practiced together for months. My clumsy sword skill never improved. With a plain sword I can hack like an angry child might. What Roggo taught me was a different beast altogether, water dancing he called it. He worked my natural quickness into a form of fighting. Our smiths hammered out blades to his specifics. He became like a second father to me over those months. Shame how it all ended for him, but..anyways.’ ‘Not long after that was when a faction of the Harlaws went rogue. Aggar and Harrald from Hagons twisted line of fucks. The two sought me out before they took ships from us. Wanted me to sail with them, but I wasn’t having it. Late that night alone I struck out and sabotaged the ships before they left in the morning. It half worked. The two ships they’d taken were drastically slowed by my efforts, but they still floated. When Lord Greyjoy called the loyalists to sail we caught up with the rogues. Aggar and Harrald their ships were so slowed they were at the back of the rogue fleet. They were the first to die.’ ‘I’ll never forget the sound of a splintering hull. There are nights I awaken screaming dreaming such sounds. We killed our brothers that day. Our own cousins and kin before the Drowned God to witness. I can recall leaping with an acrobatsgrace over their rail and climbing aboard that familiar deck with vicious intent. Dale following on my heels. He always tried to watch out for me. The rage I fell into when Aggar cut him down. He made a chop for my head but I danced around him. The men had to pull me from his corpse when all was done. I-I turned that bastard into mush. There was nothing recognizable left about him or Harrald.’ ‘The rest of that night is lost from my memory. Probably for the better. I recall bringing Harren his dead son home and the sword Nightfall. He let me keep the sword. He had nothing left but me. His sons son was dead, and now his son. The following months were hard. Dale was my father and now he was gone.’ ‘I couldn’t wash the blood from my hands. Too many troubled dreams tormenting me. I sought out Robyn Greyjoy, the Prophet. His words and faith helped me through those times. I swore myself and my blades to the Drowned Lord that day. Robyn drowned me then even though I’d been drowned a decade earlier. Ive been with him since, he and his followers.’ ‘I remember returning home reborn only to hear word of Craghorns passing. Harren would be Lord despite his nearly equal old age. That’s when the whispers came out. The shadows of knives and the poisonous words. Meetings held in the shadows and notes scrawled in hidden code. Craghorn dead and gone everyone saw the opportunity. How Harren managed to control them is beyond me I only pray it lasts. I suspect Hagon and his wretched spawn are behind all the treachery. They are the heart of the darkness and I will be watching them.’ ‘Then there was-‘ Loron looked down watching his uncle fast asleep. He made to rise and leave as the old chair creaked. The man began to stir from his slumber. ‘Loron? My child is that you? Come sit tell me your story.’ Nodding knowing the routine Loron got comfortable in his chair and began from the start. Timeline * 365AC: Born and taken in by Dale Harlaw. * 375AC: Meets and befriends Urragon. * 383AC: Ironborn occupy Oldtown. * 384AC: Loron learns from Roggo. * 386AC: Shield Islands fighting. * 388AC: Swears himself to the prophet. Lord Craghorn the Great passed in the night. * 390AC: Follows the ironborn to King's Landing. Family Tree Supporting Characters * Harren Harlaw (Archetype Scholar): Lord Harlaw, an old man many think has lost his wits. He spends his days in his hall working on various projects and books. He scarcely leaves his work to step foot outdoors. * Galon Harlaw (Archetype Warrior Swords): A loyal cousin sworn to keep an eye on things as the others have left for Kingslanding. * Vickon Harlaw: Heir of House Harlaw. A boy of ten and two who is liked by few, young, and malleable. * Hagon Harlaw: An Old reaver with many sons and salt wives. His ways are the old ways and he will have nothing else. * Urragon and Eric Harlaw: Close cousins to Loron and still hold a grudge against him. The twins now live in Kingslanding with their father. * Lucimore Harlaw: Lucimore the Loyal, Lucimore the ancient. Old and frail many suspect he is near his final days. Gone is his memory along with his eyesight. * Harmund Harlaw (Archetype Reaver) : Son of Hagon. * Greydon Harlaw (Archetype Navigator) : Son of Hagon. * Harrag Harlaw: Son of Hagon. Category:House Harlaw Category:Ironborn